1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a sheet member information acquiring device that acquires information relating to the properties of a sheet member such as a recording medium for image formation. The present invention also relates to a sheet member processing apparatus that controls processing of the sheet member on the basis of the information relating to the properties of the sheet member.
2. Description of the Related Art
Demands for an increase in the quality of an image, an increase in the speed of processing, and the like, are growing for a sheet member processing apparatus like an image forming apparatus (for example, a laser beam printer, a copier, or an inkjet printer). Also, various types of sheet members such as paper are used depending on the choice of a user of the apparatus, or the operation environment. The sheet member processing apparatus has to correspond to these sheet members.
It is known to control a sheet member processing apparatus for image formation or the like by determining the presence, type, and characteristic of the sheet member, such as paper, being processed. For example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-152245 discloses a configuration having a reflective optical sensor composed of a light-emitting portion and a light-detecting portion, and a determining portion that compares the quantity of detected light with a reference value and determines the presence and type of a sheet member (recording medium). Also, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-68528 discloses a configuration having a light source and a position detector to detect a displacement of a member that comes into contact with a sheet member to be conveyed.
However, to better control sheet member processing, it is necessary to determine the mechanical characteristics and surface roughness of the sheet member. In particular, sheet members such as paper may have anisotropy depending on the fiber orientation of the sheet member. To control the sheet member processing, details of the characteristic information involving the anisotropy is necessary. The above-mentioned related arts, however, only provide insufficient information.